Arsenal: Nacho Monreal isn’t doing Mesut Ozil any favors

Mesut Ozil is always going to be contested at Arsenal, but Nacho Monreal didn’t do him any favors in that everlasting battle with his tailored defense.

Mesut Ozil has now been at Arsenal for five years and still, no one can agree on him. He is constantly under criticism because, let’s be honest, he deserves it, and he never exactly steps up to defend himself.

The last time someone defended him, it was his agent, saying that Ozil has a back problem that accounted for the many ‘mystery illnesses’ that he suffered last season. Why Ozil couldn’t come out and say all of this himself, I don’t know, but there it was.

Now, Nacho Monreal has issued a defense of his German teammate, but his defense is much like Ozil’s agent’s – inconclusive and rather desperate sounding.

Here’s his full statement:

"“People have been a bit unfair with him. He is a very famous player and obviously people love talking about him. Recently, it is always bad things. Like last time, he was sick and that’s why he didn’t play. People started to invent that he had a problem with the manager. It wasn’t like that. He got a cold, he was sick, that’s it. That’s why he didn’t play.”More from Pain in the Arsenal3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victoryArsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison ParkMikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win"

He’s famous? That’s why people criticize him? No, we criticize him because he has earned it. We expect more out of him. Very little of what we say is invented. Sure, the bust-up may have been invented, but most of the criticism is based on the fact that he isn’t even creating chances anymore.

That isn’t a byproduct of him being famous. It’s a byproduct of him being ineffective.

And then comes the worst part. He got a cold? What? You’re telling me that the mystery illnesses that have kept him out of handfuls of games have been colds? Well, he didn’t say that much, but as this was the seventh time he has missed due to illness, with no other player coming anywhere near that number, we as fans feel like we are due a bit of an explanation. No explanation has ever been offered, so suddenly ‘having a cold’ is the best possible answer.

Fans criticize Ozil because he deserves it. Because he is making so much money and isn’t living up to that ridiculous sum. It has nothing to do with anything else. He needs to do better.